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Praise Thursday

The Power of Words

Today we shared a reminder of the power of words, inspired by the books of Proverbs (OT) and James (NT) and a devotional from author and pastor Craig Groeschel…we originally shared this in 2013. The words that come out of our mouth and fly off our pens and fingertips are important. Are we speaking life? Writing life? Posting life? Or death?

Proverbs 18:21 – “The tongue has power of life and death.”

Proverbs 15:4 – “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

James 1:26 – “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

James 3:

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Godly words can revive, heal and change our lives…

Ungodly words have the power to bind, imprison and destroy!

  • Creative words create
  • Destructive words destroy
  • Hurtful words crush
  • Helpful words build up
  • Toxic words poison
  • Soothing words heal
  • Faith-filled words bring life
  • Faithless words bring death.

We have a choice and control what comes out of our mouth.

We also have a choice to make when we hear the words of others – we can receive them as truth or reject them as lies. 

We also have to consider the issue of “self-talk” – in other words, what are we telling ourselves about ourselves?  Toxic self-talk can shape our actions and our future.  We need to speak life-giving words to ourselves and our circumstances…always reminding ourselves of the value God places on us.  We need to align our thoughts and words with HIS truth.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Alyssa

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Immeasureable!

That’s one big word, but it describes the vastness and depth of God’s creation…and it also describes His love for us. Today, Joe shared a devotional by Xochitl Dixon called ‘The Maker of the Moon.’ You can read it by clicking here.

Alyssa shared a devotional called ‘Storm Chasers’ by Bill Crowder. You can read it here.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Alyssa

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Letters to God

Today we shared for Praise Thursday two devotionals from Our Daily Bread. The first one was called ‘Let Us Praise!’, it is written by Xochitl Dixon and it encourages with the idea of taking a praise break. Read it by clicking here.

The second one we shared was called ‘Right Beside You’ written by Sheridan Voysey, it was about God being right here with us even if we feel like He may be in a far off place. Read it by clicking here.

Thanks for listening!
– Alyssa

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Storytelling and smiles

Today we shared for Praise Thursday two powerful devotionals from Our Daily Bread. One talking about the power of storytelling and how humans are connected by the need for a story — read more on it here.

The second devotional was about the story of the “smiling Jesus”, talking about the joy that Jesus had and the joy He can bring to you. Read it here!

Thanks for listening!
– Alyssa

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Feed My Sheep

Today we shared some inspiration about forgiveness. Last week we talked about kindness….and part of that is learning to forgive and restore when someone comes to us to apologize for being unkind.

The devotional today is called ‘Feed My Sheep’ – click here to read more from Our Daily Bread.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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A Call to Kindness

Lately I’ve been convicted about kindness.

I’ve been hearing some horror stories about how people have been treated in the shadow of the coronavirus. Stories from essential workers being yelled at by people because they didn’t have something in stock, or they didn’t do something ‘supposedly’ the right way.

Yesterday morning, I heard from one of my friends, who works at a pretty popular regional restaurant, about how they had to ask a gentleman to leave last week because he was upset there was one item on their newly-reopened salad bar that they did not have.

I started thinking…very transparently…if your life revolves around the fact that you can’t have a certain type of salad; potato, macaroni, broccoli, whatever, then you probably need to look in the mirror and figure out what’s really wrong.

Then I started thinking… have I had moments in my life where I allowed one really insignificant thing to kill my kindness? I actually found a few.

Many of you are familiar with the ABC-TV show ‘Full House’ and the recent Netflix sequel, ‘Fuller House.’ One of the stars is Candace Cameron Bure. She wrote a devotional for Proverbs 31 Ministries a couple of years ago called ‘a call for kindness’ and it has so much significance today. Click here to read it. It encourages us to have great hope in the midst of an unkind world.

I see 2020 as a continuing watershed moment in our faith. Can we be the voice of kindness? Can we be the voice of loving and listening? Are we tuned into people that need an encouraging word today? I certainly hope so.

Titus 3: 4-5 says, “but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our savior appeared he saved us not because of works done by us and righteousness but according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.“

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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Where are your treasures?

Today we shared two devotionals that remind us about perspective and focus.

The first is called ‘The Lost Envelope,’ from Dave Branon – find the scripture and full devotional by clicking here.

The next is called ‘Intentional Kindness,‘ from Cindy Kasper. Read it here.

Make sure you get your dad registered for our ‘Best Dad Ever’ contest – you have one week to get your entry in!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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Inspiration on a stormy day…

Today our devotional time focused on two themes:

The first, “Where Are You?” focuses on the truth of God’s presence. Read the full devotional from Adam Holz here.

The second, called ‘Alert Circles,’ talks about the strength we get from other believers. Read the devotional from James Banks here.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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The Twilight Zone and Job…

Today I shared a fantastic devotional from Tim Gustafson called ‘A Hundred Years from Now…’

“I just want people to remember me a hundred years from now,” said screenwriter Rod Serling in 1975. Creator of the TV series The Twilight Zone, Serling wanted people to say of him, “He was a writer.” Most of us can identify with Serling’s desire to leave a legacy—something to give our lives a sense of meaning and permanence.

The story of Job shows us a man struggling with meaning amid life’s fleeting days. In a moment, not just his possessions but those most precious to him, his children, were taken. Then his friends accused him of deserving this fate. Job cried out: “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever!” (Job 19:23–24).

Job’s words have been “engraved in rock forever.” We have them in the Bible. Yet Job needed even more meaning in his life than the legacy he’d leave behind. He discovered it in the character of God. “I know that my redeemer lives,” Job declared, “and that in the end he will stand on the earth” (19:25). This knowledge gave him the right longing. “I myself will see him,” Job said. “How my heart yearns within me!” (v. 27).

In the end, Job didn’t find what he expected. He found much more—the Source of all meaning and permanence (42:1–6). 

Find the complete devotional and resources here at Our Daily Bread.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

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